Moving To Vegas To Play Poker.

[SCS 0]

Most young people don't think about medical/dental. They really don't have much reason to...good insurance if something happens, but, young people are usually pretty healthy.If he was talking about moving across state I wouldn't have a problem with it. Moving to a different country is differnt.Then again, Vegas is a culture shock move no matter where you come from.

The culture shock is the other big thing.I couldn't imagine trying to go to a foreign country, so I can try to make a low income living playing poker. I'd have to be a masochist.

[Abbaddabba 0]

Why can't you make a living playing 4/8???You average 2.5 bb/100 hands 100 hands is about 2 hours at a casino. 10 hour days mean you make roughly 13bb a day. 13 X 8=104. 104 X 6 days a week is $600. $600 a week is about 30k a year. So......how is that not enough to live on?

100 hands at a casino is closer to 3 hours. And you're assuming that he plays 60 hours a week. And that doesnt include travel time or lunch breaks. When you add it all up, you're making basically minimum wage.I dont know how high the living expenses generally are in vegas, but that isnt something to strive for.Just play online.

[stanny 0]

You are severely underestimating living expenses in the US. You aren't taking into consideration variance. One bad month you are done. How are you going to ever move up in limits, when you take everything out for expenses? I assume that is your eventual plan. If it isn't I can save you time and tell you now that you WILL go broke.Like others have said, you need to save more money. 6 months of expenses. I would say $2500 a month to be safe. You need a bigger bankroll, and you need to play at a higher limit. If you don't understand this then I am very sure your time in Vegas will not be successsful.

$2500 a month?! And 6 months of that will be $15000 American dollars. How in the world can I find that kind of money. Anyway, 2500 a month is crazy I think. As I said, I come from Asia and am used to handle harsh conditions. I understand that the typical American is used to certain standards of living and I do not have to follow that. I want nothing fancy. I want a room to sleep, toilet to get clean and kitchen to cook, period. Aren't there cheap backpacker lounges or something like that? A cheap shared apartment perhaps? Okay from what I understand I need to move up stakes to at least 5/10 to beat the rake. Thus right now, the current plan would be to speak to more people living in Vegas about living expenses and costs and adjust my living expenses savings to suit that and save up for a 5/10 bankroll. Is that any feasible now?I don't mind making a minimum wage. That is because that would be way better than what I make in this country (Malaysia). The minimum wage here is bad, and the currency is really weak. Besides that, I want to escape the 9-5 grind.

[phlegm 6]

Seriously why Vegas? There are lots of places in the usa where your living expenses would be half of whatr it is in vegas and you could still be near a casino. Most casinos spread the level of game your looking for.

[Abbaddabba 0]

Okay from what I understand I need to move up stakes to at least 5/10 to beat the rake.

Rake isnt the reason you cant make enough.You just wont be playing enough hands.In an 8 hour day of "work", you'll be lucky to get in 250 hands. If you play online, you can play 500+ hands in an _hour_. With rakeback. With bonus. With smaller rake.If you try to do what you're planning on doing, there's a good chance you'll end up on the streets after a few months (if you dont get a real job in between).

[No_Neck 0]

Seriously why Vegas? There are lots of places in the usa where your living expenses would be half of whatr it is in vegas and you could still be near a casino. Most casinos spread the level of game your looking for.

probably cheaper near foxwoods, they have soft games

[stanny 0]

Seriously why Vegas? There are lots of places in the usa where your living expenses would be half of whatr it is in vegas and you could still be near a casino. Most casinos spread the level of game your looking for.

You just made a great point. I guess initially I decided Vegas cause from a foreigner's impression about Poker in America, would be the grand Las Vegas. Now, perhaps I can get by with half of what it would take outside Las Vegas! Atlantic City perhaps? Any good places with perhaps $3 max rake for low limit games?

[SuperJon 175]

$2500 a month?! And 6 months of that will be $15000 American dollars. How in the world can I find that kind of money. Anyway, 2500 a month is crazy I think. As I said, I come from Asia and am used to handle harsh conditions. I understand that the typical American is used to certain standards of living and I do not have to follow that. I want nothing fancy. I want a room to sleep, toilet to get clean and kitchen to cook, period. Aren't there cheap backpacker lounges or something like that? A cheap shared apartment perhaps? Okay from what I understand I need to move up stakes to at least 5/10 to beat the rake. Thus right now, the current plan would be to speak to more people living in Vegas about living expenses and costs and adjust my living expenses savings to suit that and save up for a 5/10 bankroll. Is that any feasible now?I don't mind making a minimum wage. That is because that would be way better than what I make in this country (Malaysia). The minimum wage here is bad, and the currency is really weak. Besides that, I want to escape the 9-5 grind.

Yes, I clean myself in the toilet all the time. Seriously, listen to everyone here. Playing ability, you may be ready. However, when it comes to the money, you are way out of your league and you'll be broke in no time.

[QuietConfidence 0]

$2000 a month is not really enough in the US. Plus, if you are looking to cook for yourself, you'll need to find a place that has a kitchen, and that will cost more.I do this for a living, but I live in LA and play in the local casinos here. I have a Masters in Computer Science that could guarantee me $70-75k a year. I choose to play poker right now because I can make more money, but it's not as glamourous as many people think. While it's true that you can work on your own schedule, it's also true that you'll experience emotional up and downs unlike most other jobs. Flexibility without discipline will mean that you could end up playing very long sessions and having bad sleeping habits, negating all the benefits of a flexible work schedule. In the end, it's like any other job, most of the fun of poker is gone once it becomes your profession. There will be many days when you won't feel like playing but you still have to because you have to pay your bills. If i was making the same money in poker than a regular job, I'll take the regular job wihout any doubt. In my opinion, playing poker as a job is worth it only if you are making a very good living.

[Actuary 3]

I got nothing to add.Other than, go for it.Just have a back up plan, like the ticket home.Don't submit to paralysis by analysis, therby never persuing a wild dream... you could end up running queries at 9:40 pm on a Sunday, wondering what the fuck is so great about being an Actuary.bitter?..no... not me

[SCS 0]

You just made a great point. I guess initially I decided Vegas cause from a foreigner's impression about Poker in America, would be the grand Las Vegas. Now, perhaps I can get by with half of what it would take outside Las Vegas! Atlantic City perhaps? Any good places with perhaps $3 max rake for low limit games?

Doesn't matter where you go, if you think you can make a living playing 4/8 limit you are sadly mistaken.Please, for your own sake stay in Asia and play online.

[Actuary 3]

Please, for your own sake stay in Asia and play online.

yeah..and quit screwing up the grading curve.

[SCS 0]

yeah..and quit screwing up the grading curve.

Damn Asians and their mathematical knowledge.

[stanny 0]

Thanks for the insight everyone. According from everyone suggestions, I need to get more money for fighting down swings, insurance, and living expenses. Also I need to switch to higher limits, 5/10 at least?That is all that is missing right? So if I have more dough that will be enough? I don't mind making a lousy earning in the begining. It's all to get experience and exposure and adapt to the way of living. Seriously guys, what else is missing? There has to be a way.

[SCS 0]

Thanks for the insight everyone. According from everyone suggestions, I need to get more money for fighting down swings, insurance, and living expenses. Also I need to switch to higher limits, 5/10 at least?That is all that is missing right? So if I have more dough that will be enough? I don't mind making a lousy earning in the begining. It's all to get experience and exposure and adapt to the way of living. Seriously guys, what else is missing? There has to be a way.

Experience.

[QuietConfidence 0]

The best way for you to build a bankroll to move to Vegas is to play online for now. play low limits, say 2/4, and multitable, then move up limits.

[funkyworms 0]

This can't be a serious post, but if it is:Health Insurance, food, gas/cab/bus expenses, and rent will eat up your savings and your bankroll. If you plan on living in the casino; and are willing to forego any medical care, go for it.

[phlegm 6]

If your really bent on coming at least come during the world seriesand play a few satellites. If your not good enuf to win a couple of sats you prolly wont cut it full time. You could then sell off your seats to build up your roll. Or if yo are feeling lucky play the turney.

[stanny 0]

This can't be a serious post, but if it is:Health Insurance, food, gas/cab/bus expenses, and rent will eat up your savings and your bankroll. If you plan on living in the casino; and are willing to forego any medical care, go for it.

Dude, live in the casino? You mean like take showers in the casino toilets, sleep on the couches, etc? That can be an idea.

[phlegm 6]

Dude, live in the casino? You mean like take showers in the casino toilets, sleep on the couches, etc? That can be an idea.

Malaysia huh? NH. dude

[Jdr999 0]

This can't be a serious post, but if it is:Health Insurance, food, gas/cab/bus expenses, and rent will eat up your savings and your bankroll. If you plan on living in the casino; and are willing to forego any medical care, go for it.

Are you serious.Your other points are fine, but living in a casino is more expensive than living in a apartment.As for the OP's question, you don't have enough $ or experience to play live for a living. Where do you play poker now, Online? If so, just grind it out at the lower limits.Also, it would cost a lot to get to Vegas from any Asian country.

[SCS 0]

Are you serious.Your other points are fine, but living in a casino is more expensive than living in a apartment.As for the OP's question, you don't have enough $ or experience to play live for a living. Where do you play poker now, Online? If so, just grind it out at the lower limits.Also, it would cost a lot to get to Vegas from any Asian country.

By "living in the casino", I'm pretty sure the poster meant using their public restrooms to wash, brush teeth, poop, etc, and trying to sleep in the lounges.

[Cupsogue Bum 0]

I didn't know Malaysia had a 9-5 grind? Thought just sweatshops where you work 20hr days.

[No_Neck 0]

I didn't know Malaysia had a 9-5 grind? Thought just sweatshops where you work 20hr days.

you are the reason people think americans are idiots.JS(I realize I am assuming you are american)

[nutzbuster 7]

Here ya go bro...gl.Daniel Negreanu - All Poker ArticlesPlay Hours Not ResultsPoker article written by Daniel Negreanu and published in Card Player MagazineMost of my ideas on how to actually make a living playing poker successfully were formed in my teens back in Toronto. I fiddled with many thoughts, and basically came to what I thought was right through trial and error. Of course reading poker material helped me make educated guesses as well. One of the things that I came up with that appeared to be very important was when to quit?Should I quit when I hit my goal for the day? Or quit when I'd lost too much? Or how about when I'd lost a certain amount of my win back? I finally came to the realization that rather than think about all that, I should spend all that energy playing every hand well in every situation.When I was in my teens you could say I was pretty anal. No make that VERY anal. I wrote down everything from my mood during a session to how many smokers there were in the game! I know, I know, pretty anal. I guess I was just a stats freak too.Anyway, I started to think about how I could balance a 'normal' life while playing poker for a living. How can I REALLY make this a job. The charity casinos I used to play at were open from noon till 4am every day. If you didn't get there by noon, you'd be out of luck as far as getting a seat goes. I didn't think sleeping all day and being up all night was what you call a 'normal' life. So that left me with this, "I'll play the day shift."So it's noon and I'm at work. I've had a nice little rush and I'm beating the 10-20 game for $1200 by 2pm. Then I'd get this,"How much are you trying to win?" "Why don't you just take a win? Why would you want to give it all back?" Yada-yada-yada! Then someone would ask me,"How much are you winnin' kid?" I would reply,"Well what time is it? 2pm? Let's see, $86.44." Nobody every understood what I was talking about, but that's the way I 'trained' myself to see it.After all, we all know by now that wins and losses aren't how you measure your profits at poker, it's your hourly rate. My hourly rate in that game was $43.33. Multiply that by two and you get $86.44. Simple right? OK.Understanding the difference between playing for results rather than EV brought me to my next step. How hard do I want to work? I came up with the number 40 hours a week, since that's what felt 'normal' to me. Since I was the boss, I also decided I'd get weekends off, cool! That left me with 5 days to get 40 hours of play in. Well, that's simple enough, I'd play 8 hours a day, five days a week, done!So for years that's what I did, I showed up at noon, and when they collected time for 8pm I was out of there. Of course this isn't neccessarily the best way to make the most money, it was just a way for me to have some sort of routine in my life. Something I desperately needed at the time. There were some pros and cons to this, but overall I liked the pros so much I could live with the cons.As far as pros go, I NEVER had to worry about when to quit, I already knew! I didn't have to play mind games with my self. Am I running bad? should I quit winner? etc. I was left with playing the game and trying to make good decisions.Of course I sometimes played in bad, tight games for a while, and also missed out on some good action after 8pm, but big deal! I was lucky enough to be in a game that was good enough for the most part. Optimally you'd only play poker when you are getting way the best of it, but that's just not a reality for most professionals.There were occasions where I played some overtime, but NEVER when I was loser. Only when the game was extremely good, or if I'd given myself some early outs earlier in the week. After all, I was the boss right? If I was sick or just tired of playing, I allowed my self a sick day here and there. Not too many of course, my boss was pretty anal. This system helped me avoid one of the pitfalls that are the downfall of the majority of poker players. Playing long hours when you are stuck, and hitting and running with small wins. Everyone knows it's silly, but they can't control themself. They are obssessed with putting a W in their records. Well I've looked at some of those record books, they look like this: 2h +340, 3h +285, 2.5 +540, 5h +145, 6h +90, 1.5h +335. Not bad for a 10-20 game right. 20 hours for a profit of $1735 dollars. That's an hour $86.75! But wait, you didn't see day seven, 15 h -2135. Hmmm, not so good after all. Hey six out of seven wins is pretty impressive, but what good is that?Now this may or may not work for you, but if you are having that big problem of playing all night to get even, it's something to think about.I taught myself that there was always tomorrow. If I got the hours in, the results would follow, and they did. Amazingly, almost all of my friends, also professionals, got on the same schedule. It was great, we really felt like co-workers and had a lot of fun together all day, and then again at nights. I miss those days. At 8pm there was a huge turnover. All the tough players went home, and a new cast came in. I know what you're thinking, man, seems like 8pm was the time to play! Well it was, but that's the sacrifice I made to try to balance a 'normal' life with playing poker for a living. Now that I look back, it was well worth it.« Back to Daniel Negreanu's